Abstract

Objective: To assess the trends in Gossypiboma over 1975-2023 and the impact on the career of a surgeon. Background: Gossypibomas are the most feared and undesired complication of surgery. Despite numerous guidelines, they still exist in our modern society. Here, we examine worldwide data along with a case report. Patient: A 46-year-old diabetic anaemic female with a 6-month earlier history of operative management for cancer of the cervix (stage IA2) presented with features suggesting acute intestinal obstruction. She was managed by emergency laparotomy and removal of the retained foreign body. Methods: A literature search was performed on PubMed for gossypiboma and was limited to case reports from 1975-2023. Analysis using Excel and Python. Results: In a study of 289 total gossypiboma cases, analysis revealed that Asia had the highest incidence (53.53%, n=269), and the most common symptom was pain (36.5%, n=287). Additionally, age and time of discovery exhibited an upward trend, with thoracic cases taking the longest to discover. Conclusion: Surgeon accountability for unintentional mistakes, akin to random errors, sparks debate. Gossypibomas emphasize the need to follow rigorous safety standards and team work endorsed by WHO.

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